Children’s Justice Act Committee (CJAC)
Forecasted
Children’s Justice Act Committee (CJAC) supports Maryland agencies and nonprofits in improving child abuse investigations and case handling to reduce additional trauma and ensure procedural fairness.
Funder: Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy
Due Dates (Anticipated): July 2027 (User ID request) | July 2027 (Online application)
Funding Amounts: FFY 2027 solicitation: $25,000–$100,000 per award for 12 months; approximately $282,000 available
Summary: Supports improvements to Maryland’s investigation, administration, and judicial handling of child abuse and neglect cases while reducing additional trauma.
Key Information: Direct services are not permitted; eligible Maryland entities may submit only one application.
Description
The Children’s Justice Act Committee grant program is administered by Maryland’s Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy (GOCPP), with federal funding through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It supports innovative programming to improve the investigative, administrative, and judicial handling of child abuse and neglect, particularly child sexual abuse and exploitation. Funding primarily focuses on the front-end, intake, and investigative stages of child welfare, with the goal of limiting additional trauma to children and their families while ensuring procedural fairness.
Projects must address priorities identified through the Maryland Children’s Justice Act Committee’s Three-Year Assessment. These include strengthening law enforcement’s response to child maltreatment, improving multidisciplinary teams within Child Advocacy Centers, and enhancing forensic interviewing capacity through evidence-informed, developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed techniques.
